Boston Sports Journal Despite a promising preseason, a trip to Providence appears to be in the cards for Anders Bjork

[Aussie Bruin]

It's too early to be worried or judgmental about who's on the roster and who's in Providence. It's not set in stone and can change quickly.

If come November Bjork has started well in the AHL and Ritchie or Kuhlman are rubbish, and Bjork is still left down, then we have a problem.

 

[Sheppy]

Bjork had better be on this team sooner than later. The top 6 needs one more skill player and Kuhlman is not quite that.

The top 6 needs someone better than both Bjork & Kuhlman, imo.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

The top 6 needs someone better than both Bjork & Kuhlman, imo.

That is true but if Bjork is what he supposedly can be then at least he is our best option.

 

[veganbruin]

Bjork has been my favorite prospect for a while now. It’s been painful to see him get hurt these past two seasons. Maybe starting in Providence will change his fortunes.

 

[Beesfan]

I agree with the decision. It is much better to be calling him up after a hot start in Prov than potentially sending him down after a slow start here.

The goal should be that the next time he is up, it is permanent. Like when Heinen went down for four games to start the season, scored 8 points, got called up and never went down again.

 

[Nothingbutglass]

This has nothing to do with merit.

Bosotn is looking for a truck and Bjork is a sportscar.

The sportscar needs tuning, cant do that with the truck(waivers).

So drive it for a bit and see how the truck does. If not well, park it in the front yard with a for sale sign on it.

People get upset every summer about who does and does not make camp only to have all of that be meaningless in the first two weeks of the season.

Right, Bjork will still be there in a couple of weeks/months

 

[sarge88]

Of course it does. Maybe I am cynic, but I take whatever they say for public consumption with a grain of salt. It is a bad look for Cassidy or Sweeney to come out and say "Backes and Ritchie will be on the roster for opening day" before a single camp workout has happened. These guys don't like or want controversy, but I've always felt, and it seems to be borne out by experience, that a young player on the Bruins has to do twice as much work to earn a spot than an older veteran has to do to keep it, if that makes sense. They just can't say it.

Respectfully, who are the young players that have been given the short end of the stick?

Spooner? Cehlarik? Donato?

McAvoy, Carlo and Pasta certainly weren’t snubbed early on.

Donato was handed big playoff minutes as a rookie.

Has anyone been given more slack than Heinen in his first 2 years?

The guy scored 5 points in 30 something games and got benched once.

I think their track record is pretty good over the last 8-10 years with young players.

Maybe I’m missing some examples, but aside from Wheeler, who got legit minutes here but was traded in a move they understood was for the here and now back then, I can’t think of anyone who they kept down too long but ended up hitting big somewhere else.

I think the Bjork thing is simply a matter of one guy being waiver exempt while others aren’t.

 

[Dr Hook]

Respectfully, who are the young players that have been given the short end of the stick?

Spooner? Cehlarik? Donato?

McAvoy, Carlo and Pasta certainly weren’t snubbed early on.

Donato was handed big playoff minutes as a rookie.

Has anyone been given more slack than Heinen in his first 2 years?

The guy scored 5 points in 30 something games and got benched once.

I think their track record is pretty good over the last 8-10 years with young players.

Maybe I’m missing some examples, but aside from Wheeler, who got legit minutes here but was traded in a move they understood was for the here and now back then, I can’t think of anyone who they kept down too long but ended up hitting big somewhere else.

I think the Bjork thing is simply a matter of one guy being waiver exempt while others aren’t.

My post was more generalized in response to another, and you may be right about the Bjork deal, but I still cannot be brought to see that Brett Ritchie is a better option. Either way, my point was more about "management speak" than a particular situation. In this case I will say, though, that in no way does Brett Ritchie deserve a roster spot over Bjork, Cehlarik, Blidh (I know he got crunchd but I don't believe he was going to get a post over Ritchie whatever happened) etc. Backes, well we all know that he was going to be here, right? So at some level, the "may the best man win the job" is not accurate, but I also don't believe it ever has been but no team will ever say it. To think that any coach doesn't have a lineup in mind going in is probably unrealistic. Add in management pressures (like Cam -allegedly- wanting that big bodied Ritchie or Backes sizeable contract) and it is what it is.

So anyway, a bit rambly (it's early in my day) but I don't feel that young players necessarily get a shaft here in Boston, but that some do and will because the process is not exactly as merit-based as the platitudes suggest. Also, I don't expect them to not give the platitudes and throw away lines- it's a PR game as much as anything.

 

[sarge88]

My post was more generalized in response to another, and you may be right about the Bjork deal, but I still cannot be brought to see that Brett Ritchie is a better option. Either way, my point was more about "management speak" than a particular situation. In this case I will say, though, that in no way does Brett Ritchie deserve a roster spot over Bjork, Cehlarik, Blidh (I know he got crunchd but I don't believe he was going to get a post over Ritchie whatever happened) etc. Backes, well we all know that he was going to be here, right? So at some level, the "may the best man win the job" is not accurate, but I also don't believe it ever has been but no team will ever say it. To think that any coach doesn't have a lineup in mind going in is probably unrealistic. Add in management pressures (like Cam -allegedly- wanting that big bodied Ritchie or Backes sizeable contract) and it is what it is.

So anyway, a bit rambly (it's early in my day) but I don't feel that young players necessarily get a shaft here in Boston, but that some do and will because the process is not exactly as merit-based as the platitudes suggest. Also, I don't expect them to not give the platitudes and throw away lines- it's a PR game as much as anything.

I understand your point. I don't think it is limited to the Bruins though. Salary cap considerations and other things come into play for all teams.

One thing that I don't think has been mentioned is how it would look to other potential free agents if a guy who played over 200 NHL games signs here and because of a less than stellar few weeks of camp (in a new environment, with new teammates, etc.) gets dumped to the minors, without being given the chance to prove himself in games that count.

Not saying it's right, but the optics matter more than the facts sometimes.

Those in the game look at things much differently than the fans sometimes.

 

[EON]

Let's just keep rolling out shmucks like Backes & Ritchie in the bottom 6 who provide almost nothing while the homegrown prospect who had an outstanding camp & preseason gets sent down.

"It's not about taking the 12 best players" is just horrible dinosaur logic. Yes, it's important to have defensively responsible players, but not at the expense of being useless elsewhere. Hopefully they rectify this mistake sooner rather than later.

 

[maxl7]

Let's just keep rolling out shmucks like Backes & Ritchie in the bottom 6 who provide almost nothing while the homegrown prospect who had an outstanding camp & preseason gets sent down.

"It's not about taking the 12 best players" is just horrible dinosaur logic. Yes, it's important to have defensively responsible players, but not at the expense of being useless elsewhere. Hopefully they rectify this mistake sooner rather than later.

Not to mention that Bjork has had one of the best defensive impacts among all forwards in preseason. That Bjork - Coyle - Heinen line was DOMINANT.

 

[maxl7]

This about sums up the situation with Bjork:

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

The same people who want 4 scoring lines are the same people who will complain about not having any engergy/checking/shutdown lines in the playoffs.

This is not a video game, you dont just throw in the players with the top stats and win. Thats works in kid and beer leagues, but not in pro ones.
Different players being different things to the table that others do not. Chemistry is very important.
Strategy is looking beyond stats and making ateam that will play well in all the situations you face.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

This about sums up the situation with Bjork:

Except there was a spot for Bjork on the 3rd line.

 

[Dr Hook]

Except there was a spot for Bjork on the 3rd line.

Not when Bjork is waiver exempt and David Backes has a $6 mil cap hit

 

[Dr Hook]

The same people who want 4 scoring lines are the same people who will complain about not having any engergy/checking/shutdown lines in the playoffs.

This is not a video game, you dont just throw in the players with the top stats and win. Thats works in kid and beer leagues, but not in pro ones.
Different players being different things to the table that others do not. Chemistry is very important.
Strategy is looking beyond stats and making ateam that will play well in all the situations you face.

I don't think 3 scoring lines is too many, especially given that a 3rd line with Coyle and Heinen on it is a two-way line that can shut down and play with energy as well as chip in some offense. Backes is an anchor for those two guys. The 4th line ought to be fine with Lindholm/Nordstrom-Kuraly-Wagner and bring that energy/checking game.

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

I don't think 3 scoring lines is too many, especially given that a 3rd line with Coyle and Heinen on it is a two-way line that can shut down and play with energy as well as chip in some offense. Backes is an anchor for those two guys. The 4th line ought to be fine with Lindholm/Nordstrom-Kuraly-Wagner and bring that energy/checking game.

I am fine with 3.

This was to those posters who want a scoring 4th line.

 

[maxl7]

Except there was a spot for Bjork on the 3rd line.

But everyone here was saying that he's a "top six" guy and therefore it was Actually Good that he was sent to Providence instead of playing on the third line.

 

[BlackFrancis]

Strategy is looking beyond stats and making ateam that will play well in all the situations you face.

I looked so far beyond the stats that I boarded an airline, took an 18 hour flight to the Seychelles, and looked under a coconut tree and found a rock. Under that rock there was a note saying, "David Backes and Brett Ritchie are terrible. Try the cassava pudding."

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

I looked so far beyond the stats that I boarded an airline, took an 18 hour flight to the Seychelles, and looked under a coconut tree and found a rock. Under that rock there was a note saying, "David Backes and Brett Ritchie are terrible. Try the cassava pudding."

LOL

PS: Seychelles are not gonna be around much longer with the sea rising as it is.

 

[bb74]

The ND game last year showed me at least how short the leash was on Bjork. Without being Ftorek, I would have played the kid as a team builder exercise.

The positive is he didn't pout and wine but took it like a pro. The downer is he has a short leash for some reason. If Ritchie and Backers are 2-3-5 and -7 by Thanksgiving and he sucks it up and produces in PRO while still being down there, then there is a problem. Clearly Cassidy & Sweens see something that needs working on - just wish they would be a bit more forthcoming as this is a bit difficult to understand at this stage.

 

[Estlin]

Except there was a spot for Bjork on the 3rd line.

I happen to think that Bjork and Pastrnak should be the top two RWs and that Senyshyn (or Kuhlman) should be on the third line. But, yes, a third line of Heinen, Coyle and Bjork looked great in the pre-season. Now, instead of Bjork, line three will be stuck with one of Backes or Ritchie. I increasingly think that having Ritchie on the team is an order from Neely. There is no other reason for him to be there.

I am fine with 3.

This was to those posters who want a scoring 4th line.

I don’t recall reading any posts by those advocating a scoring fourth line. Maybe i missed them.

 

[Dr Hook]

LOL

PS: Seychelles are not gonna be around much longer with the sea rising as it is.

Neither are Backes and Ritchie with the suckage rising as it is

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

Neither are Backes and Ritchie with the suckage rising as it is

ZING!